FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (QQQQ.TO).

FTQI and QQQQ.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTQI is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Jan 6, 2014. QQQQ.TO is a passively managed fund by Mackenzie that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Aug 19, 2025. Both FTQI and QQQQ.TO are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (QQQQ.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
FTQI First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF	-0.38%	8.00%
QQQQ.TO Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF	-7.35%	8.46%

Different Trading Currencies

FTQI is traded in USD, while QQQQ.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the QQQQ.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTQI achieves a -0.38% return, which is significantly higher than QQQQ.TO's -7.35% return.

FTQI

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: -0.70%
• YTD: -0.38%
• 6M: 3.73%
• 1Y: 19.71%
• 3Y*: 14.13%
• 5Y*: 9.58%
• 10Y*: 6.96%

QQQQ.TO

• 1D: 2.13%
• 1M: -5.77%
• YTD: -7.35%
• 6M: -4.66%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTQI has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than QQQQ.TO's 0.25% expense ratio.

FTQI

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF

QQQQ.TO

Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF

Return for Risk

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

FTQI

FTQI Risk / Return Rank: 70
FTQI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
FTQI Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
FTQI Omega Ratio Rank: 75
FTQI Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
FTQI Martin Ratio Rank: 83

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (QQQQ.TO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	FTQI	QQQQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.75	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.73	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.01	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FTQI	QQQQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.06	+0.40

Correlation

The correlation between FTQI and QQQQ.TO is 0.58, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Dividend Comparison

FTQI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.85%, more than QQQQ.TO's 0.12% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTQI First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF	11.85%	11.46%	11.66%	11.49%	9.85%	3.05%	3.27%	2.95%	3.27%	2.74%	3.02%	3.54%
QQQQ.TO Mackenzie NASDAQ 100 Index ETF	0.12%	0.11%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FTQI vs. QQQQ.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTQI drawdown since its inception was -19.42%, which is greater than QQQQ.TO's maximum drawdown of -11.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTQI and QQQQ.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTQI	QQQQ.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.42%	-11.95%	-7.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.75%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.42%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-19.42%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.41%	-10.17%	+7.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.80%	-3.94%	+0.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.03%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	FTQI	QQQQ.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.36%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.93%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.15%	17.07%	+0.08%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.83%	17.07%	-2.24%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.41%	17.07%	-3.66%